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ODU

Police activity, March 13, 2026

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Confirmed Threat

On the evening of Friday, March 13, 2026 (the day after the deadly ROTC-targeted attack on Constant Hall) Old Dominion University President Brian O. Hemphill released a community message announcing that Constant Hall would remain closed for classes and student activities for the entire remainder of the Spring 2026 semester. The Registrar's Office would relocate every Constant Hall course before the end of Spring Break, and the Strome College of Business would offer remote or temporary-workspace options to displaced faculty and staff.

Alerts
2
Response
min
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Old Dominion University
Public R1 · VA
All ODU cases →
~24,000 studentsODU Urgent Alert
Official alert policy
Read when and how ODU says it will use ODU Alert: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence · 2 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

FOLLOW-UPEmail
Verified verbatim831 chars
Old Dominion University continues to provide counseling services and support to the campus and the community. Constant Hall remains closed. All previously scheduled events at all campus locations for Saturday, March 14, 2026, and Sunday, March 15, 2026, are canceled. Many students and faculty will be away from campus in the coming week due to Spring Break. For employees, Old Dominion University will reopen on Monday, March 16, 2026, with necessary flexibility to accommodate individual circumstances. Individuals with personal belongings and other items left in Constant Hall, may pick up their items available tomorrow, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in the Center Café located in the Webb Center beginning at 11 a.m. and ending at 8 p.m. The location and hours will remain the same for the following day, Sunday, March 15, 2026.
Verify this quote
ODU Forever Monarch Strong — Shared Friday, March 13, 2026odu.edufind archived copies
Exact text from ODU official Messages & Alerts archive under Shared Friday, March 13, 2026
UPDATEEmail
Verified verbatim3808 chars
Dear Members of the Old Dominion University Campus Community: In the wake of yesterday’s horrific tragedy, I want to share several thoughts with you and also provide some campus specific details. Earlier today, I shared a tribute to Lt. Col. Brandon A. Shah ’07, the dedicated Monarch, public servant, and true hero, who tragically had his life taken far too early. I so appreciate Lt. Col. Shah for how much he gave to our University. If you have not already done so, please take a moment to honor his life, mourn his loss, salute his service, and reflect on his contributions. Today, I also visited the wounded ROTC student, who remains in the hospital. I am pleased to report that he is recovering from his wounds under the care of our exceptional medical team and in the presence of his family. Another wounded ROTC student is recovering at home. Their courage and resilience are an inspiration, and I know we all look forward to their return to campus. The grace and unity that our campus community demonstrated during this tragic incident and in the hours that followed have been a source of strength. As many Monarchs will be away from campus in the coming week, this will undoubtedly be a time of reflection. For employees, we will reopen this coming Monday (March 16, 2026) with necessary flexibility to accommodate individual circumstances. Counseling will continue to be available for anyone on our campus and in our community. Counseling services and 24/7 crisis support are available for any students, faculty, and staff who may need emotional support following this incident. Trained professionals are available to listen, provide confidential care, and help connect individuals with additional support resources. Please visit https://www.odu.edu/emergency-management/support-resources for specific details. For individuals with personal belongings and other items left in Constant Hall, pick up will be available tomorrow (Saturday, March 14, 2026) in the Center Café located in the Webb Center beginning at 11 a.m. and ending at 8 p.m. The location and hours will remain the same for the following day (Sunday, March 15, 2026). Constant Hall will remain closed for classes and other student activities for the duration of the Spring 2026 semester. The Registrar is working with various campus partners to determine new building and room assignments, which will be communicated directly to both faculty and students prior to the conclusion of Spring Break. Dean Erika Marsillac, Ph.D. will work with faculty and staff in the Strome College of Business to determine the best approach for offices located in Constant Hall. Options include temporary workspaces and remote work through the current term. The University will develop a long-term plan for the building. The configuration and utilization beyond Spring 2026 is under careful consideration. Those details will be announced once finalized. The investigation into yesterday’s tragic event is continuing, and we are providing any and all assistance to the FBI and local law enforcement. I express my sincere appreciation to them, as well as elected officials and community partners for their concern, outreach, and support for the Monarch Nation. In the coming week and moving forward, we will keep you informed of developments regarding the ongoing investigation and future plans. While this is a very somber time for our campus community, we have the determination, resilience, and strength to follow the example set by Lt. Col. Shah in his many roles as a Monarch student and alumnus, brave soldier, engaging mentor, revered teacher, exemplary leader, and his most important roles as a husband, father, and friend. Forever Monarch Strong, Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D. President
Verify this quote
ODU President Hemphill Time of Reflection message (March 13, 2026)odu.edufind archived copies
Exact community-wide administrative email from odu.edu/president; announces Constant Hall semester-long closure
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

Old Dominion University continues to provide counseling services and support to the campus and the community. Constant Hall remains closed. All previously scheduled events at all campus locations for Saturday, March 14, 2026, and Sunday, March 15, 2026, are canceled. Many students and faculty will be away from campus in the coming week due to Spring Break. For employees, Old Dominion University will reopen on Monday, March 16, 2026, with necessary flexibility to accommodate individual circumstances. Individuals with personal belongings and other items left in Constant Hall, may pick up their items available tomorrow, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in the Center Café located in the Webb Center beginning at 11 a.m. and ending at 8 p.m. The location and hours will remain the same for the following day, Sunday, March 15, 2026.

  • Sourcepresent22/25

    Final assessment

    Strong majority: the message speaks in the name of Old Dominion University, referencing its operations and closures; a small minority felt no alerting authority was clearly named, but the institutional identification was sufficient for most readers.

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Refers to 'Old Dominion University' by name.
    2. present: Message is issued in the name of "Old Dominion University".
    3. present: Refers to 'Old Dominion University' as issuing entity.
    4. present: Old Dominion University issuing operational update.
    5. present: Names 'Old Dominion University' as issuer.
    6. present: Old Dominion University identified as issuer.
    7. present: Issued by Old Dominion University.
    8. present: Refers to 'Old Dominion University' issuing the notice.
    9. present: "Old Dominion University" speaks in first person throughout.
    10. present: Refers to 'Old Dominion University' by name.
    11. present: References "Old Dominion University" as issuer.
    12. present: Old Dominion University named as issuer.
    13. present: Names Old Dominion University as issuer.
    14. present: "Old Dominion University continues to provide" identifies institution.
    15. present: Identifies 'Old Dominion University' as the issuer.
    16. absent: 'Old Dominion University' named but not an alerting authority/police in this update
    17. present: Names 'Old Dominion University' directly.
    18. present: Names 'Old Dominion University'.
    19. present: Names 'Old Dominion University' as sender.
    20. absent: No specific sender/authority identified, only refers generically to 'Old Dominion University'.
    21. present: Names 'Old Dominion University' as issuer.
    22. present: 'Old Dominion University' identified as issuer.
    23. present: References 'Old Dominion University' as issuer.
    24. absent: No sender or authority named, generic institutional voice.
    25. present: References "Old Dominion University" by name.
  • Hazardabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: no specific hazard is named anywhere in this update; it only references a prior, unstated event via the continued closure of Constant Hall.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No specific hazard named, only references prior closure of Constant Hall.
    2. absent: No specific hazard or threat is named; it only references ongoing counseling support and building closure.
    3. absent: No specific hazard named; only references 'Constant Hall remains closed' without stating what happened.
    4. absent: No hazard named; refers only to prior closure and counseling services, not the threat itself.
    5. absent: No specific hazard named; references prior closure without stating the threat.
    6. absent: No specific hazard named, only references to a prior closure of Constant Hall.
    7. absent: No specific hazard is named, only that Constant Hall remains closed and events are canceled.
    8. absent: No specific hazard named; refers only to 'Constant Hall remains closed' without stating what happened.
    9. absent: No specific hazard is named; only refers vaguely to prior events via building closure.
    10. absent: No specific hazard is named; only references continued counseling and building closure.
    11. absent: No specific hazard named; "Constant Hall remains closed" without stating why.
    12. absent: No specific hazard named, only references Constant Hall remaining closed and prior events.
    13. absent: No specific hazard named, only refers to prior closure of Constant Hall without stating what happened.
    14. absent: No specific hazard named, only references closures/counseling generically.
    15. absent: No specific hazard named, only references closures/cancellations after an unstated event.
    16. absent: No hazard named, references prior closure without stating what happened
    17. absent: No specific hazard named, only references prior closure without naming the threat.
    18. absent: Only references prior closure, no specific threat described in this text.
    19. absent: No specific hazard named; only references 'the campus and the community' needing support, no threat stated.
    20. absent: No hazard named, only references prior closure without stating threat type.
    21. absent: No specific hazard named, only references prior closure of Constant Hall.
    22. absent: No specific hazard named; only refers to 'Constant Hall remains closed' without describing what happened.
    23. absent: No specific hazard named, only 'Constant Hall remains closed' with no cause stated in text.
    24. absent: No specific hazard named, only refers to Constant Hall remaining closed.
    25. absent: No specific hazard named; only says "Constant Hall remains closed" without stating why.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: names Constant Hall and the Webb Center as relevant locations.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: States 'Constant Hall remains closed'.
    2. present: Names "Constant Hall" and the "Webb Center".
    3. present: Names 'Constant Hall' and 'Webb Center'.
    4. present: Constant Hall and Webb Center named.
    5. present: Names 'Constant Hall' as closed.
    6. present: Constant Hall and Webb Center named.
    7. present: Names 'Constant Hall' and 'the Webb Center'.
    8. present: Names 'Constant Hall' and 'Webb Center'.
    9. present: "Constant Hall remains closed".
    10. present: Names 'Constant Hall' and 'the Webb Center'.
    11. present: Names "Constant Hall" and "Webb Center".
    12. present: Constant Hall and Webb Center's Center Café named.
    13. present: Names Constant Hall and Webb Center.
    14. present: "Constant Hall remains closed".
    15. present: 'Constant Hall remains closed'.
    16. present: 'Constant Hall remains closed'
    17. present: Names 'Constant Hall'.
    18. present: Names 'Constant Hall' and 'Webb Center'.
    19. present: Names 'Constant Hall' and 'Webb Center'.
    20. present: Constant Hall named as remaining closed.
    21. present: Names 'Constant Hall' and 'Webb Center'.
    22. present: 'Constant Hall' and 'Webb Center'.
    23. present: Names 'Constant Hall' and 'Webb Center'.
    24. present: Constant Hall, Webb Center.
    25. present: Names "Constant Hall" and "Webb Center".
  • Guidanceabsent1/25

    Final assessment

    Near-unanimous: the message gives only logistical information about picking up belongings and building status, not a protective-action instruction; a single dissenting read treated the pickup logistics as a form of instruction.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No protective action instruction to recipients, only logistical pickup info.
    2. absent: No protective action instruction is given, only logistics for retrieving belongings.
    3. absent: No protective action instructed, only logistical/administrative information.
    4. absent: Only administrative logistics given, no protective action instructed.
    5. absent: No protective action instructed, only logistical belongings-pickup info.
    6. absent: No protective action, only logistical pickup instructions.
    7. absent: No protective action is instructed, only logistical item-pickup information.
    8. absent: Provides logistical info, not protective action instruction.
    9. absent: No protective action instructed, informational logistics only.
    10. absent: Only announces closures and belongings pickup, gives no protective instruction.
    11. absent: States facts and logistics, no protective-action instruction.
    12. absent: No protective action instructed, only logistics on item pickup.
    13. absent: Describes pickup logistics and reopening, no protective instruction.
    14. absent: No protective action instructed to recipients.
    15. absent: Informational about closures/pickups, no protective action instructed.
    16. absent: No protective action, just logistical info on retrieving belongings
    17. absent: Only administrative/logistical info about item pickup, no protective instruction.
    18. absent: Only informational about item pickup, no protective instruction.
    19. absent: No protective action; only logistical pickup instructions.
    20. absent: No protective action instruction, only logistics about item pickup.
    21. absent: No protective action instructed, only logistical pickup info.
    22. present: Instructs where/when to pick up belongings, employee reopening plans.
    23. absent: No protective action instructed to recipients.
    24. absent: No protective action instructed.
    25. absent: Describes closures/logistics, not a protective instruction to recipients.
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: gives specific dates and pickup hours, Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15, 2026, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Specifies 'Saturday, March 14, 2026' and 'Sunday, March 15, 2026'.
    2. present: States "Saturday, March 14, 2026" and "Sunday, March 15, 2026".
    3. present: States 'Saturday, March 14, 2026, and Sunday, March 15, 2026' and pickup times.
    4. present: Gives specific dates March 14 and 15, 2026, and hours 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
    5. present: Gives 'Saturday, March 14, 2026'.
    6. present: Saturday, March 14, 2026, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. specified.
    7. present: Gives 'Saturday, March 14, 2026' and specific pickup hours.
    8. present: Gives specific dates 'Saturday, March 14, 2026' and times '11 a.m. and ending at 8 p.m.'
    9. present: "Saturday, March 14, 2026, and Sunday, March 15, 2026".
    10. present: States 'Saturday, March 14, 2026, and Sunday, March 15, 2026' with pickup hours.
    11. present: Gives specific dates "Saturday, March 14, 2026" and hours "11 a.m. and ending at 8 p.m."
    12. present: Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15, 2026, with specific hours.
    13. present: Gives Saturday, March 14, 2026 with specific hours.
    14. present: "Saturday, March 14, 2026, and Sunday, March 15, 2026".
    15. present: 'Saturday, March 14, 2026, and Sunday, March 15, 2026'.
    16. present: 'Saturday, March 14, 2026'
    17. present: States 'Saturday, March 14, 2026' with hours '11 a.m. and ending at 8 p.m.'
    18. present: Gives 'Saturday, March 14, 2026'.
    19. present: Gives 'Saturday, March 14, 2026... beginning at 11 a.m.'.
    20. present: Specific dates 'Saturday, March 14' and 'Sunday, March 15, 2026' given.
    21. present: Gives 'Saturday, March 14, 2026... 11 a.m. and ending at 8 p.m.'.
    22. present: 'Saturday, March 14, 2026... beginning at 11 a.m.'
    23. present: Gives 'Saturday, March 14, 2026... beginning at 11 a.m. and ending at 8 p.m.'
    24. present: Saturday, March 14, 2026, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
    25. present: Gives "Saturday, March 14, 2026" and hours.
  • Impactabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: no consequence or severity is stated anywhere in the message.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No stated consequence conveyed.
    2. absent: No statement of potential harm or severity is included.
    3. absent: No stated consequence or severity given.
    4. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    5. absent: No stated consequence conveyed.
    6. absent: No stated consequence given.
    7. absent: No statement of potential harm or severity.
    8. absent: No stated consequence or severity given.
    9. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    10. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    11. absent: No stated consequence or severity given.
    12. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    13. absent: No stated consequence given.
    14. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    15. absent: No stated consequence conveyed.
    16. absent: No stated consequence
    17. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    18. absent: No stated consequence.
    19. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    20. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    21. absent: No stated consequence.
    22. absent: No stated consequence.
    23. absent: No stated consequence or severity described.
    24. absent: No stated consequence given.
    25. absent: No stated consequence or severity conveyed.

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

On March 12, 2026, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh attacked an ROTC class inside Constant Hall at Old Dominion University, killing Lt Col Brandon Shah and wounding two cadets before being killed by ROTC students. Constant Hall is the principal building of ODU's Strome College of Business and one of the largest academic buildings on campus, housing dozens of faculty offices and classrooms in addition to the ROTC department of military sciences. The morning after the attack, while ODU was simultaneously processing news that five other Virginia campuses were being hit by copycat bomb threats targeting their libraries, President Brian O. Hemphill issued a Friday-evening community message announcing that Constant Hall would remain closed for the duration of the Spring 2026 semester. The Registrar's Office began relocating every Constant Hall class to alternate rooms before the end of Spring Break (March 14-22, 2026). Dean Erika Marsillac of the Strome College of Business coordinated remote-work and temporary-workspace arrangements for displaced faculty. The university committed to a longer-range planning process for the future of Constant Hall. This case sits in the archive as an example of post-attack institutional communication, not a Clery emergency notification (the threat had been neutralized), but a community-advisory equivalent that performs the heavy lifting of campus stabilization. It is the kind of communication that defines the institutional voice for the second and third weeks after a high-casualty event, and worth preserving as a category. It also documents how ODU's emergency-management capacity had to operate at simultaneously elevated tempo on the day of the post-ODU bomb-threat wave at five sister Virginia campuses.
Analysis

Key Findings

Constant Hall remained closed for the entire Spring 2026 semester, an unusually long post-attack closure for a major academic building
The Registrar's Office relocated every Constant Hall course before the end of Spring Break, using the break as a logistical buffer
ODU's emergency-management apparatus operated at maximum bandwidth on March 13, 2026, managing both the Constant Hall response and concurrent copycat bomb threats at five sister Virginia campuses
President Brian O. Hemphill's community message functions as the institutional analog of a wartime commander's letter, a single name carrying operational weight
The Strome College of Business (housed in Constant Hall) was the most disrupted unit, with Dean Erika Marsillac coordinating temporary arrangements
Constant Hall's long-term future remained under active university review at semester's end
Outcome
ODU's Strome College of Business — which is housed in Constant Hall — relocated all classes for the remainder of Spring 2026. The Registrar's Office completed building reassignments before the end of Spring Break (March 14-22, 2026). Constant Hall's long-term future remained under review. The university also faced a separate wave of copycat bomb threats at five other Virginia campuses the same day, requiring simultaneous emergency-management bandwidth.
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. News
    ODU President announces Constant Hall closure for Spring 2026 semester — WAVY
    wavy.com
    archived copy
  2. News
    ODU's Constant Hall to remain closed following deadly campus shooting — WTKR
    wtkr.com
    archived copy
  3. News
    Severe weather risk, tornado preparation, Constant Hall closing: Sunrise Brief — WTKR
    wtkr.com
    archived copy
  4. News
    Multiple bomb threats at Virginia colleges following ODU shooting — VPM
    vpm.org
    archived copy
  5. Official
    Messages & Alerts — Old Dominion University Forever Monarch Strong
    odu.edu
    archived copy
  6. Source
    2026 Old Dominion University shooting — Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org
    archived copy
  7. Official
    Time of Reflection and Need for Support (President Hemphill)
    odu.edu
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Old Dominion University: Police activity, March 13, 2026." Incident of March 13, 2026. Added May 2026; last updated July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/old-dominion-university-constant-hall-closure-2026-03-13/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
follow-upadvisorypost-attackconstant-hallrotcvirginiaodubuilding-closurespring-2026strome-college-of-businessinstitutional-recovery
Added May 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion